Architects

Declare Climate
and Biodiversity
Emergency
WHY?
The twin crises of climate breakdown and
biodiversity loss are the most serious issues
of our time. Buildings and construction play a
major part, accounting for nearly 40% of
energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2)
emissions whilst also having a significant
impact on our natural habitats.
HOW
For everyone working in the construction
industry, meeting the needs of our society
without breaching the earth’s ecological
boundaries will demand a paradigm shift in
our behaviour. Together with our clients, we
will need to commission and design buildings,
cities and infrastructures as indivisible
components of a larger, constantly
regenerating and self-sustaining system.
We will seek to:

• Raise awareness of the climate and biodiversity emergencies.

• Advocate for faster change in our industry towards regenerative design.
• Establish climate and biodiversity mitigation principles as the key measure of our
industry’s success: demonstrated through awards, prizes and listings.
• Share knowledge and research to that end on an open source basis.
• Evaluate all new projects against the aspiration to contribute positively to
mitigating climate breakdown, and encourage our clients to adopt this approach.
• Upgrade existing buildings for extended use as a more carbon efficient
alternative to demolition and new build whenever there is a viable choice.
• Include life cycle costing, whole life carbon modelling and post occupancy
evaluation as part of our basic scope of work.
• Adopt more regenerative design principles in our studios, with the aim of
designing to go beyond the standard of net zero carbon in use.
• Collaborate with engineers, contractors and clients to further reduce construction
waste.
• Accelerate the shift to low embodied carbon materials in all our work.
• Minimise wasteful use of resources in architecture and urban planning.
We’re
We’reglobal
global
We’re global
uk.architectsdeclare.com/

UK – 936

MAY - 2019
We’re global and multidisciplinary
uk.architectsdeclare.com/
structuralengineersdeclare.com/
civilengineersdeclare.com/
buildingservicesengineersdeclare.com/
uk.landscapearchitectsdeclare.com/
projectmanagersdeclare.com/
architectureeducationdeclares.com/
UK – 936 – Architects
UK – 162 – Structural
UK – 100 – Civil
UK – 77 – Building Services
UK – 117 – Landscape
UK – Project Managers
Global – 2330 – Architectural Educators

MAY - 2019
We’re global
no.architectsdeclare.com/

UK – 936
Norway – 122

JUNE - 2019
We’re global
au.architectsdeclare.com/
it.architectsdeclare.com/

UK – 936
Norway – 122
Australia – 905
Italy – 302

JULY - 2019
We’re global
is.architectsdeclare.com/
nz.architectsdeclare.com/
za.architectsdeclare.com/
ie.architectsdeclare.com/
ca.architectsdeclare.com/
dk.architectsdeclare.com/
se.architectsdeclare.com/ UK – 936
Norway – 122
Australia – 905
Italy – 302
Iceland – 24
New Zealand – 102
South Africa – 12
Ireland – 80
Canada – 212
Denmark – 73
Sweden – 265

SEPTEMBER - 2019
We’re global
fr.architectsdeclare.com/

UK – 936
Norway – 122
Australia – 905
Italy – 302
Iceland – 24
New Zealand – 102
South Africa – 12
Ireland – 80
Canada – 212
Denmark – 73
Sweden – 265
France – 464

OCTOBER - 2019
We’re global
be.architectsdeclare.com/
de.architectsdeclare.com/

UK – 936
Norway – 122
Australia – 905
Italy – 302
Iceland – 24
New Zealand – 102
South Africa – 12
Ireland – 80
Canada – 212
Denmark – 73
Sweden – 265
France – 464
Belgium – 385
Germany – 155

NOVEMBER - 2019
We’re global
ch.architectsdeclare.com/
sg.architectsdeclare.com/
pl.architectsdeclare.com/
lv.architectsdeclare.com/

UK – 936
Norway – 122
Australia – 905
Italy – 302
Iceland – 24
New Zealand – 102
South Africa – 12
Ireland – 80
Canada – 212
Denmark – 73
Sweden – 265
France – 464
Belgium – 385
Germany – 155
Switzerland – 92
Singapore – 29
Poland – 40
Latvia – 14

JANUARY - 2020
We’re global
hu.architectsdeclare.com/
tw.architectsdeclare.com/

UK – 936
Norway – 122
Australia – 905
Italy – 302
Iceland – 24
New Zealand – 102
South Africa – 12
Ireland – 80
Canada – 212
Denmark – 73
Sweden – 265
France – 464
Belgium – 385
Germany – 155
Switzerland – 92
Singapore – 29
Poland – 40
Latvia – 14
Hungary – 25
Taiwan – 34

MARCH - 2020
We’re global
fi.architectsdeclare.com/
us.architectsdeclare.com/

UK – 936
Norway – 122
Australia – 905
Italy – 302
Iceland – 24
New Zealand – 102
South Africa – 12
Ireland – 80
Canada – 212
Denmark – 73
Sweden – 265
France – 464
Belgium – 385
Germany – 155
Switzerland – 92
Singapore – 29
Poland – 40
Latvia – 14
Hungary – 25
Taiwan – 34
Finland – 82
USA – 92
MAY - 2020
We gather

Battersea Arts Centre - 27th November 2019

We knowledge share

Workshop on embodied carbon – FCB Studios 04.03.20

We are a global movement

First co-ordination meeting with international AD initiators – 16.04.20

We collaborate
We organise

Aims for next year:

- Using the strength of the network to engage with national and regional
governments, professional institutes and other organisations, to bring
about change
- Organising national and international events, seminars and
conversations, to share knowledge
- Working nationally and internationally with Construction Declares
signatories and other like-minded organisations
- Engaging with the trade press and media, to highlight solutions and
obstacles
- Increasing the number of practices in the network: both through
Architects Declare and the wider community that is Construction
Declares.
Landscape Institute
COVID-19 Green Recovery
Ben Brown, Head of Policy and Insight
11 June 2020

www.landscapeinstitute.org @talklandscape

1
2
3
4
 A green recovery

Action on Economic
climate change stimulus

• New health challenges Responding to

• New lifestyles C19-driven shifts
• Changes to the public realm
• Different values

5
What does “bad” look like?
• Stimulus with no strings attached
• Few, large, grey infrastructure
projects
• New schemes only, ignoring retrofit
• Tearing up planning “red tape”
• Car-only residential schemes
• Ignoring flood risk and urban heat
• Funding green assets whilst cutting
local authority maintenance
• Reverting back to analogue
practices
• Ignoring skills

6
COVID-19 Green Recovery
What could the policy priorities be?
Economic recovery
packages
▪ Investment in new
infrastructure and housing with
a natural capital approach
▪ Green skills and jobs
programmes
Urban green
infrastructure
▪ Stronger local GI standards
▪ Increased investment in parks and
green spaces
▪ Greenery for air pollution shielding
7
Public realm
transformation
▪ Permanent reallocation of road space
for active transport
▪ Promotion of green retrofit incl. SuDS
▪ Reorientate planning away from housing
targets toward wider goals
Digital infrastructure
▪ Increased machine-readable
practice, incl. BIM
▪ Maintain digital momentum in
planning
▪ Better data – e.g. on embodied
carbon
Thank you
Ben Brown, Landscape Institute

www.landscapeinstitute.org @talklandscape

8
Planning for a
green recovery
James Harris
Policy and Networks Manager
Royal Town Planning Institute

@urban_wonder
Covid-19 and the built environment

Health, wellbeing and inequality

Covid-19 and the built environment

Health, wellbeing and inequality

A new economic landscape
Covid-19 and the built environment

Health, wellbeing and inequality

A new economic landscape
Changes to the way we travel
Covid-19 and the built environment

Health, wellbeing and inequality

A new economic landscape
Changes to the way we travel
The transition to net zero carbon
 Calls for a
Government
sustainable,
economic
stimulus
Place - based resilient and
inclusive
measures solutions recovery
The contribution of planning

Tackling place-based inequality

Enabling a green industrial revolution
Prioritising sustainable mobility
Coordinating zero-carbon infrastructure
The planning toolbox

Listening and engagement

Vision and leadership for place
Integrated and strategic planning
Flexibility and adaptability
Thank you
rtpi.org.uk
CIBSE webinar
Green Recovery – How can buildings and
cities help?

Dr Julie Godefroy, Technical Manager

11th June 2020

@CIBSE #GrowYourKnowledge
CIBSE Green Recovery Briefing

1 – Clear commitment to embed climate, CIBSE BRIEFING

environmental and health objectives in recovery plans GREEN RECOVERY

2 – Making the most of the current period
As we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic there is a renewed opportunity to focus on the
challenges of climate change mitigation and adaptation, delivering safe and healthy
buildings that provide for occupant wellbeing and maintaining biodiversity and environmental
protection. At the same time we need to build our resilience to future crises. The current
pandemic highlights the need to be guided by science and engineering. Later action will
cost more and may lead to irreversible damage.

3 – Improved regulations & incentives In addition, a green recovery could contribute significantly to job creation and UK export
opportunities, now and in the long term.

& Action CIBSE therefore recommend the following strategy:

1. A clear commitment by government to embed climate, environmental, health, and

building safety objectives in the recovery plan. We are pleased decarbonisation is an
objective of the CLC’s recovery plan, but need more specific and stronger commitments.

2. Making the most of the current period: the period of lower economic activity creates
opportunities to prepare and facilitate the transition to a zero carbon economy by:
a. Developing low-carbon skills and expertise: skills and expertise need to
significantly develop in areas such as low-carbon heat and retrofit. In the first
Priorities: instance, training and competence programmes could specifically target people on
furlough or at risk of unemployment1.
b. Thinking and planning e.g. preparing local and regional plans which embed climate
and biodiversity goals, to be put into action when economic activity resumes.
c. Acting now where it is easier than usual, especially where it can pre-empt
detrimental reactions post-lockdowns e.g. improving walking and cycling routes to
Training and competence prevent a large-scale shift to private vehicles.
d. Gathering data and lessons on whether current behaviours and activities bring
benefits and if so, whether and how lasting change could be achieved.

Retrofit 3. Improving the policy and incentive framework to prioritise climate, environmental
and health and wellbeing improvements as well as job creation, and turning this

Nature-based solutions into action. This should create comprehensive and consistent support as well as the
removal of existing measures which, intentionally or not, act as disincentive to reduce
fossil fuel use. The following should be a focus due to their demonstrated potential to

Energy and transport planning & infrastructure
benefit both the economy and the climate2:
a. Low-carbon retrofit and refurbishment of the existing building stock, particularly
housing. This should include, and possibly start with, the current programme of
remediation in high rise residential buildings, which should be managed to deliver
safe, healthy and energy efficient buildings and significant carbon reductions.
b. Nature-based solutions to improve resilience and offer a range of environmental,
health and wellbeing benefits.
c. Promotion of low-carbon and clean infrastructure through capital investment and
the planning system, including the energy and transport systems.

References to others 1
2
For example through the proposed CLC Talent Retention Scheme
Hepburn et al, May 2020: Will COVID-19 fiscal recovery packages accelerate or retard progress on climate change?
Making the most of the current period

Thinking and planning

Developing low-carbon skills and expertise

e.g. retrofit, heat pumps

Acting now where it is easier than usual

Pre-empt post-lockdown effects
e.g. walking and cycling routes

Data and lessons: what is possible?

Benefits?
Update our models?
How to sustain behaviour change?
 Policies perceived to be in the desirable upper-right quadrant of Figure 1 (large long-run multiplier

Climate investments for economic recovery

and strongly positive impact on climate) included connectivity infrastructure (S), general R&D
spending (X), education investment (L), clean energy infrastructure (T), and clean energy R&D
spending (Y). Each of these was also often identified as being in the top 10 desired recovery policies

& job creation (CCC principle 1)

of respondents. Other notable policy options included healthcare investment (M) and worker retraining
(N). Two archetypes scored highly on potential climate impact but were not recognised for high
multiplier or speed of implementation: green spaces and natural infrastructure (V), and energy efficient
buildings upgrades including retrofits (U).5

Building upgrades (energy

Many traditional ‘relief
efficiency)
type’ measures, clumped to the centre right of the figure, including liquidity
support for households, start-ups, and SMEs (D), direct provision of basic needs (K), and targeted
direct cash transfers (O), predictably out-performed
Cleanothers
R&Din terms of speed of implementation and
spending
Green spacesthe&highest
ranked amongst naturalfor long-run multiplier. Non-conditional airline bailouts (E) recorded a
markedly poor performance on all metrics and featured in fewer experts’ top 10s than any other
infrastructure
policy.
investment Clean energy infrastructure investment

Climate
benefit

Long-term economic benefit

Airline bailouts

Hepburn, O’Callaghan, Stern, Stiglitz and Zenghelis, Will COVID-19 fiscal recovery packages accelerate or retard progress on climate change?,
May 2020 https://www.smithschool.ox.ac.uk/publications/wpapers/workingpaper20-02.pdf
Retrofit

Skills and competence

Incremental: building lessons and supply chains

Starting with remediation in high-rise buildings?

Avoid carbon lock-ins

Regulations
All opportunity points – extensions, sales &
rentals, substantial works …
Review Part L!
Address in-use performance
Building passports incl. zero carbon plan
Embed fairness as core principle (CCC principle 4)

Environmental factors contribute to health inequalities

Ref: Marmot, 2010

Regulations + better planning appraisals

Daylight e.g. lower floors

Noise and air quality
Fuel poverty
Access to outdoor and green space
…
Avoid locking-in carbon (CCC principle 6)
Remove support to fossil fuels and dis-incentive against carbon savings

• 20% VAT retrofit vs 0% new build

• Winter fuel payments (£2bn a year):
homes remain inefficient & uncomfortable
• Proposed Permitted Development Rights for demolition
>> retain embodied carbon, scrutinise demolition
• Proposal to limit timber in construction
>> performance- and risk-based e.g. BS 8414
• Proposed Future Homes Standard:
• Notional building with gas = incentive for direct
electric heating & less efficient fabric
• Heat networks: 45% additional emissions allowance
• STOR
support to stand-by diesel generation
• Energy prices:
electricity = lower carbon, higher cost than gas
• …